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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC STEPHEN T. IIISLEY, OF SYRACUSE, NEIV YORK,ASSIGNOR TO Tl'lE SYRA- CUSE SPECIALTY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAMEPLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,482, dated May 5,1891.

Application filed August 6, 1890. Serial No. 361,171. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN 'l. IIISLEY, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Clasps, of which the following, taken in connection withthe accoinpany'ing drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention pertains to the class of IO clasps which' are chieflyused on arctic overshoes and in which a tongue is hinged to a frame orbodyplate secured to one of the quarters of the shoe and interlocks Witha slotted catch-plate attached to the other quarr5 ter or flap of theshoe; and the invention has special reference to the species of claspsin which the tongue is formed with integral flat pivots which areinserted between the flexible ends of two spring-metal body-plates,

which latter are firmly united at the opposite end.

The object of the invention is to obviate the usual end extensions orprojections of the body-plate inthe same plane With said plate,

and thus avoid the liability of catching grass or strings or otheranalogous loose objects in the path of the wearer of the shoe providedwith a clasp of the aforesaid class; and the object of the invent-ionalso is to guard more 0 effectually againstthe possibilityof the tonguebeing drawn out from theend of its supportin g-frame.

To these ends the invention consists in a novel and simple constructionand combina- 5 tion of the component parts of the clasp, as hereinafterfully described, and specifically set forth in the claim.

In the annexed drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of claspsembodying 40 my invention. Fig. Sis an edge view of the clasp shown inFig. 2. Fig. i is a detached perspective view of the component parts ofsaid clasp, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the catch-plate.

C represents the slotted catch-plate, and t denotes the tongue, whichinterlocks with said plate in the usual and well-known manner infastening the shoe or other article to which the clasp is applied. Saidtongue is 50 curved in the usual manner and formed at one end withintegral fiat pivots c 0, projecting laterally from opposite edgesthereof, by which pivots it is connected to the front ends of thebody-platesAand A in the following manner: The plate A is formed at itsrear end with the cross-bar b and at the front end with the centralopening 0. Each of the portions of the plate at opposite sides of theopening 0 is formed with a notch,the transverse edge of whichconstitutes a laterally-extending shoulder a, and the remainder of saidportion of the plate is bent into the shape of a lip l, projecting atright angles from the plane of the plate. The other body -plate A isplaced upon the plate A and is formed at one end with a cross-bar 1),corresponding to the cross-bar b, and by a rivet passing through saidcross-bars the two bod y-plates are firmly united at said or front end.The opposite end of the body-plate A is formed with the central opening0, and the portions at opposite sides of said opening are each formedwith a recess (Z in the side adjacent to the plate A and terminated witha lip Z, which projects across the front of the shoulder a of the plateA. The two plates A A are stamped out of sheet spring-steel, and aretherefore adapted to be sprung apart at the ends, which are providedwith lips Z l. The tongue t is connected to said body-plates byinserting the pivots c 0 into the recesses (l d of the plate A, whichmay be effected before riveting the opposite end of said plate to theplate A.

It will be observed that by the described construction of the clasp thepivots of the tongue are retained between the body-plates by two sets oflips projecting in opposite directions from the said plates and acrossthe front of the pivots, and thus each pivot is retained between thebody-plates by a double lock, which effectually prevents the tongue fromsevering from the body-plates during the operation of the clasp, inwhich operation the pintle pries the plates A A apart at one end, whenthe tongue is raised to engage or release the catch-plate C, and thusthe tongue receives its required spring action.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is'

Theimproved clasp consisting of the bodyplnteA, formed at its front endwith the open- I e e, projecting rigidly from opposite edges of ing 0and terminating thereet with the tmnsthe tongue and lying between theplates A verse shoulders (L (L and lips I Z, projecting at A immediatelyback of the lips l and l of right angles from the plane of the plate inboth plates, substantially as described and :5 front of the saidshoulders, the body-plate A, shown.

lying upon the plate A and secured to the IntestimonyWhereofIhavehereunto signed rear end thereof and formed at theopposite my name this 51st day of July, 1890.

end with the opening 0 and terminated STEPHEN 'l. IIISLEY. liL. thereatwith recesses (Z d and lips Z Z, pro- Witnesses: to jeeting across thefront of the shoulders (66L, MARK \V. DEWEY,

and the tongue 1, formed with the flat pivots C. 'L. BENDIXON.

